


And I will NEED YOU...HERE, ALWAYS

by lila_luscious1



Category: Blindspot (TV), FBI (TV 2018), FBI-Most Wanted, No Country for Old Men (2007), Rapata (fandom), Repata (fandom), The Blacklist (US TV), The InBetween (TV 2019)
Genre: Blindspot - Freeform, Concern, Danger, Established Relationship, F/M, FBI-Most Wanted - Freeform, I Love You, Light Angst, Love, The Blacklist - Freeform, The InBetween - Freeform, Worry, be careful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-10-10 07:04:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20523935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lila_luscious1/pseuds/lila_luscious1
Summary: A tattoo 'pops'...and this one means serious trouble for the CIRG Teamspecifically Zapata and Reade. ANTON CHIGURH has been dispatchedto kill Reade and his family. He's a relentless assassin who never stops, never quits,until the job is complete





	1. YOU CAN'T GET HURT

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agentemaria4722](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentemaria4722/gifts), [Bacner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bacner/gifts), [Natteve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natteve/gifts), [ProblematicDS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProblematicDS/gifts), [DnDgay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DnDgay/gifts), [Madita1908](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madita1908/gifts), [Unseen_MrStanton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unseen_MrStanton/gifts), [blindsmarcy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindsmarcy/gifts), [Repatablind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repatablind/gifts), [Indelible_Evidence](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Indelible_Evidence), [Repata_stories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repata_stories/gifts), [Jem4ever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jem4ever/gifts), [Scarletfern](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarletfern/gifts), [Lost_Heaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_Heaven/gifts), [JuliaWithAJ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaWithAJ/gifts), [girlwithtoomanyships](https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlwithtoomanyships/gifts), [snookolive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snookolive/gifts), [MarySBarros](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarySBarros/gifts), [KieranDeForest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieranDeForest/gifts), [quiethurricane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiethurricane/gifts), [lightandwaves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightandwaves/gifts), [AshleTorres318](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshleTorres318/gifts), [adangerousbond](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adangerousbond/gifts), [van22114](https://archiveofourown.org/users/van22114/gifts), [julrenda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/julrenda/gifts), [ashlee_jordan888](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashlee_jordan888/gifts), [ample_annie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ample_annie/gifts), [cedes_92150](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cedes_92150/gifts), [carolina_beckerj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolina_beckerj/gifts), [briget_bee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/briget_bee/gifts), [dwalk1_2002](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwalk1_2002/gifts), [beccab1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beccab1/gifts), [LeesyLovesBathenaAndVicley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeesyLovesBathenaAndVicley/gifts), [dirtydiana139](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirtydiana139/gifts), [da_manelli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/da_manelli/gifts).
**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reade explains that a new tattoo case may be a little 'lumpy' (translate:  
ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS) Zapata, predictably is not real happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSLATIONS
> 
> Entiendes?: Understand?
> 
> Claro que no: Of Course Not

"So that you know, a tattoo popped, Tash-might get lumpy."

Tasha pauses in the middle of powdering her Daughter's bottom.  
"You can't get hurt Reade-do you understand? I can't have that."  
__**Check that-I WON'T HAVE IT-ENTIENDES?"**

"All of a sudden you draw a blank on what we do...how we do? It's the  
job."

Nat, bottom-less, squeals to re-focus her Mother's attention, Tasha responds,  
expertly wrapping and pinning the diaper, without taking her eyes off of her Man.

"We both know that as A.D. you can remain in office and send your team into the  
field." Reade can tell by her tone that she is very serious about this issue.

"We're down one, with you at home-if I were to stay in office, and one of them were  
to get shot, or WORSE-killed? Look...I get that you are worried, and I'll see what  
I can do about reducing my field time... I'm looking at some promising candidates,  
but until I know that I can trust the lives of our friends-OUR FAMILY-to them..."

"I can't do it, Zapata."

[Nat says, "Papata!", which breaks the tension between her Parents. They laugh, and  
after putting on the mischievous baby's one-sie, she hands the Little One to Reade.]

As she's handing Nat over, Zapata says, one more time: DON'T GET HURT."

Nosy Nat grabs tight around his neck and shouts "NO!" before Reade can respond.

Reade kisses the top of her flouncy curls; with his face against them, and his eyes  
on Tasha, he murmurs, "Claro que no."


	2. I'M FIXING IT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reade has a solution to assuage His partner's fears

Reade continues preparing for the up-coming mission; around him, Nat is carrying on IN A very, VERY  
energetic manner-clinging, crying, wringing her little hands, wanting him to hold her.

"See? SHE knows something's up, and she's nervous."

"Pa", she whimpers, holding tightly to his hoodie. "Paaa..."

"Uyyyyy.....tuutuutuutuutuu", he coos to her. "tanto que su Papai La quiere, tanto que la adore"...

Reade answers, as kindly and levelly as possible. "That's because all o the fuss YOU were making. She's  
taking her cues from you."

"Well, YES...but she's also very smart. YOU know that. She intuits things without really being aware.  
See my point of view. All I want is for you to get this fixed asap, so I don't worry myself sick. The world is  
becoming MORE dangerous, not less."

"I can borrow some experienced agents from ASAC Castille. Ever worked with Scola or Kehinde?  
I have, and they are two I'd trust in any situation. Add to them Damian Assante (ex Bureau, Seattle PD),  
Reg Marteen, Sheryll Barnes (Fugitive Task), and...Reddington's loaning us Dembe."

Reade can see the tension immediately flow out of Natasha Zapata. If Dembe Zumba is safe-guarding her  
she won't even need the carry her firearm while inside the condo.

The couple spend the rest of the evening playing with their Daughter, who has mostly calmed down)  
and watching THE NEW ZOO REVIEW (on DVD, in Spanish) until the baby falls asleep. Tasha watches  
Father and baby for some time. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that their bond is an unbreakable one. She  
sometimes has to stop herself for being jealous of the way that at her most cranky, Ed alone can get her calmed.  
If he hasn't been home in a day or two, due to a case, he alone is allowed to feed her for a few days, once normalcy  
in their routine is re-established.

_How stupid was I to run from this Man the way that I did, and for so long_, she muses to herself.  
Part of her reticence was due to her unstable and pretty horrific childhood (A Father who abandoned the family  
when she was 8 and her Twin Brothers 6; a Mother who lost herself in the bottom of whiskey [or gin, or vodka, or  
tequila...you get the picture] bottles, leaving her Children to fend for themselves the majority of the time.

Early on, she learned that those who put out a helping hand, often-times have "strings attached" in the  
other. She found that she could depend on no one, save herself. Meeting Reade, and then Patterson, had a curative  
affect on her system of beliefs, but not enough to slake the self-destructive behavior she's developed over the years.  
Their support and un-conditional "friendship love" was so key to her not losing herself in the dark abyss of narcotics  
and alcohol abuse, risky and inappropriate sexual relationships, and gambling. She never felt that she deserved the  
type of true romantic love that Reade offers, or the joy of delivering a new life into the world, and sometimes agonized  
over when the next "shoe would drop". NO MORE. Reade and their baby have healed her. She IS WORTHY-SHE IS a part  
of life, a good life. For these reasons she wants Reade out of the field-her fear of losing him to a violent death.

Pushing all of this aside, she tells him a low voice that she'll take Nat into her room so that the two of them can  
have some Mommy and Daddy Time; he responds that he prefers that the Little One sleep in their room tonight.  
"We can put here on the far side, away from us-I hate to say, but even this one doesn't get in the way of Mommy

Daddy Time."

He places Natalia carefully on Tasha's 'side' far enough away from them so as not to disturb her, and they  
proceed to 'engage' one another, in that way that only two people truly an deeply in love do...


	3. FIXED...RIGHT?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Zapata and Reade feel much better much better now  
that the Assistant Director is essentially 'out of the field'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPLICIT LANGUAGE WARNING AND FONDLING-  
THIS CHAPTER

The Children are asleep, and the two Lovers have a moment to themselves for the first  
time all day. They discuss whether Tasha will return to the FBI ("I thought that after Nat  
_maybe-NOW_-I'm more sure than ever that I want to focus on the two of them.")  
Reade agrees that this resolution is preferable their nurturer and primary care-giver spending the  
majority of the day away from them. The subject of another Child is broached-Tasha would like a  
third, Reade wants what she wants.

After a period of companionable silence, Tasha Zapata has something that she wants to tell Reade.  
(she turns until she's sitting partially on his lap, with both arms draped about his wide shoulders):  
I love you with my whole heart. I know that you know that, but I need to SAY IT. From the beginning,  
and everyday since, you've been a rock-always there for me, propping me up, supporting me no matter what: no  
questions asked. THIS IS THE LIFE THAT I WANT-NEVER DOUBT THAT. Am I weirdo for randomly wondering  
what you're doing at a certain time of day...who you're talking to, what you ate...I don't think that's weird, because  
that's a new thing for me. Probably my love is so strong because I've never been in love before-I never let myself  
feel strongly for anyone, as I was gonna eventually fuck the relationship up anyway, and ruin their lives besides.

"Belinda Saucedo (Tasha's Mom) did a serious mind-fuck on you Baby. And you SURVIVED that shit. That's a warrior."  
That passionate spirit is part of what drew me to you in the beginning...that and THIS HERE" (both of his hands are free,  
and he uses them cup her very substantial buttocks through the thin material of her yoga pants. She swats half-heartedly at  
his hands, remarking that he should, quote " 'respect his Children' sleeping just down the hall'." (unquote.)

They talk more about her Mother, and the lasting trauma Tasha and her Brothers suffer to this day as a result (PTSD)  
of Belinda and her husband's 'parenting skills.' (and how the lack of parental love and caring affected the Three's adult relationships.)  
Reade assures her that her sees her TRUE SELF, and always has-even under and through all of the wreckage of her child and early  
adulthood. "This DIAMOND OF A WOMAN-YOU- emerged from all of that-forged in steel, from a furnace so hot few could make  
it through. Your Brothers did...YOU DID...the Woman I love."

"If your plan is to sweet-talk" your way into some pussy, tell me MORE-it's working," Zapata grins wickedly.


End file.
